Fixtures, any kind of personal property that is permanently attached to a house (such as drapery rods, built-in bookcases, tacked-down carpeting or a furnace), automatically stay with the house unless specified otherwise in the sales contract. But you can consider anything that is not nailed down negotiable. This most often involves appliances that are not built in (washer, dryer, refrigerator, for example), although some sellers will be interested in negotiating for other items, such as a piano.

According to experts, sellers do not have to disclose other offers

The more you know about a seller’s motivation, the stronger a negotiating position you are in. For example, a seller who must move quickly due to a job transfer may be amenable to a lower price with a speedy escrow. Other so-called “motivated sellers” include people going through a divorce or who have already purchased another home. Remember, that the listing price is what the seller would like to receive but is not necessarily what they will settle for. Before making an offer, check the recent sales prices of comparable homes in the neighborhood to see how the seller’s asking price stacks up. Some experts discourage making deliberate low-ball offers. While such an offer can be presented, it can also sour the sale and discourage the seller from negotiating at all.

Making your home look as nice as possible may seem obvious. Apparently, it’s not, because many sellers don’t do much beyond vacuuming the living room rug and maybe cleaning the ring off the bathtub, says George Devine, in “For Sale by Owner,” Nolo Press, Berkeley, Calif.; 1993. Short of spending a lot of money, Devine offers several steps people can take to make their home show better:

Sweep the sidewalk, mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and clean debris from the yard. Clean the windows and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking. Be sure that the doorbell works. Clean and make attractive all rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. It’s especially important that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. Organize closets. Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work. Get rid of leaky faucets and frayed cords. Ensure that the house smells good: from an apple pie or cookies baking, for example. Hide the kitty litter. Put vases of fresh flowers throughout the house. Pleasant background music is a nice touch.

Bankruptcies and foreclosures can remain on a credit report for seven to 10 years.

Some lenders will consider a borrower earlier if they have reestablished good credit. The circumstances surrounding the bankruptcy can also influence a lender’s decision. For example, if you went through a bankruptcy because your employer had financial difficulties, a lender may be more sympathetic. If, however, you went through bankruptcy because you overextended personal credit lines and lived beyond your means, the lender probably will be less inclined to be flexible.

If you find yourself stumbling over weird acronyms in a real estate listing, don’t be alarmed. There is method to the madness of this shorthand (which is mostly adopted by sellers to save money in advertising charges). Here are some abbreviations and the meaning of each, taken from a recent newspaper classified section:

* assum. fin. — assumable financing * dk — deck * gar — garage (garden is usually abbreviated “gard”) * expansion pot’l — may be extra space on the lot, or possibly vertical potential for a top floor or room addition. Verify actual potential by checking local zoning restrictions prior to purchase. * fab pentrm — fabulous pentroom, a room on top, underneath the roof, that sometimes has views * FDR — formal dining room (not the former president) * frplc, fplc, FP — fireplace * grmet kit — gourmet kitchen * HDW, HWF, Hdwd — hardwood floors * hi ceils — high ceilings * In-law potential — potential for a separate apartment. Sometimes, local zoning codes restrict rentals of such units so be sure the conversion is legal first. * large E-2 plan — this is one of several floor plans available in a specific building * lsd pkg. — leased parking area, may come with an additional cost * lo dues — find out just how low these homeowner’s dues are, and in comparison to what? * nr bst schls — near the best schools * pvt — private * pwdr rm — powder room, or half-bath * upr- upper floor * vw, vu, vws, vus — view(s) * Wow! — better check this one out.

Resources: * “Real Estate’s Ambiguous Language You Oughtta Understand,” Glennon H. Neubauer, Ethos Group Publishing, Diamond Bar, CA; 1993.